CocoBeats: Hong Kong’s 10 best music events this August

Let’s face it, we’re all sweating all the time. What difference would it really make to go out and burst your eardrums while moshing or standing in front of the speakers in a club? To round out your summer escapades, we’ve curated a list of music events with everything from speed metal to jazz to alt rock. Scroll down to see what August has to offer.

VOLAR presents Disco Step Child

Disco Step Child is the brainchild of locals DJ Drafus and Ben Ku, with their current sound more focussed on house, bass and techno. DJ Drafus has opened for De La Soul and Phoenix and regularly plays at Clockenflap with Uptown Rockers. The duo is credited for bringing Hong Kong’s electronic scene and nightlife to another level. In the past, Ku has played events for brands like Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein. For more info, check out the Facebook event.

Cosmic Chauffeur Present an Eclectoclash Event

If you’re looking for something different, this eclectoclash event hosted by Cosmic Chauffeur might be up your alley. The gig is a mix of alternative music and spoken word performances, perfect for the person looking for a quirky evening. Musical acts include Logo, which uses dark lyrics underscored by spatial sonics; Little Power, described as “guitar-driven exotica”; and Sushi Robot, an electronic dance group that uses post-tech visuals. Spoken word will be performed by Blair Reeve, a contortionist who also does oral bebop; Bhavini Rhaval, an actress and voice artist, and Rama Kulkarni and Nerida Ari who will introduce a collaborative poem.

Hanjin Tan – Breaking Bad

Singapore native Hanjin Tan has worked as a producer for more than 11 years and collaborated with many stars, including Rain, Jay Chou, Andy Lau and Wang Leehom, just to name a few. Throughout his career he has produced more than 400 songs. His own debut, “Raw Jazz”, sold rapidly and topped charts in Hong Kong and Japan. Watch the dude’s very respectable cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (take that Kanye). Heyo & Sexy Hammer will be opening for Tan.

Kodaline Live in Hong Kong

LAMC Productions is bringing Irish quartet Kodaline to Hong Kong for the first time. This alternative modern rock group from Dublin burst onto the scene when “All I Want” featured in the movie The Fault in Our Stars, topped charts and reached 12 million views on YouTube. Their music has also been featured in TV shows The Vampire Diaries and Grey’s Anatomy (and as we know, any song that lands on the latter is pretty much guaranteed to top the charts). Kodaline just released their sophomore album, Coming Up For Air. “Honest” (below) is the album’s first single.

Supernova HK 2015 Grand Final

Supernova is a massive inter-school vocal music competition for secondary students that has a penchant for using English in a way that Lisa Frank stickers attack your eyeballs. If you ever wanted to be in the crowd for American Idol or X Factor, this event is for you. But get your tickets fast! Semi-final tickets sold out in advance.

Summer Pop Music Blend 2015

Part One of this concert features Andrew Chen, a keyboard player that has worked on Miss Asia and many other shows, and Eric Chu, lead guitarist of Mocking Bullet. The two will be collaborating on stage for the first time. The second part of the concert features Sexy Forest, a local rock band that’s working on releasing an album by the end of this year.

Open Sesame Music Festival

Finally! Hong Kong is getting its own late summer music festival! Located in a New Territories grassy clearing called Chi Ma Leng, which translates to “sesame field”, this new festival hopes to showcase Hong Kong’s indie music scene, with the vast majority of its lineup hailing from the Fragrant Harbour. Like any festival in the boonies, camping is an option for those who don’t want to schlep back and forth over the weekend. One-day tickets (HKD280) are available for purchase at the door. Camping permits (HKD150) are only available to two-day ticket holders.

Imagine Dragons Smoke + Mirrors Tour Live in Hong Kong

Live Nation Lushington is bringing Imagine Dragons to Hong Kong! The Grammy-winning group wrote the current album right on the tails of performing in a series of hundreds of concerts and over fifty festivals. The album is inspired by the chaotic energy of life on the road and the group’s meteoric rise to stardom. As the band hails from Las Vegas, you can expect them to put on a good show for their Smoke + Mirrors Tour in Hong Kong.

Next 2 Me EP Release Party

The Anello is a musical collaboration that incorporates elements of indie, electronica and hip hop. They’ve previously performed at Clockenflap and spent the last year touring in China, Taiwan and Vietnam, and have also also presented at TedxWanChaiWomen. This EP Release Party will debut a music video shot by Derrick Fong of the New York Film Academy. Other musical acts performing at the party include GDJYB, Re:flex and DELF. All tickets include a copy of the EP and one drink.

DragonForce Maximum Overload World Tour – Live In Hong Kong

British power/speed metal band, DragonForce, is coming to Hong Kong to shred your ear drums. Although the group has been around for more than 15 years, they put out their sixth album, Maximum Overload, last year. Their music has influences from electronica and old school Nintedo-era video game music. If you’re looking to end your summer with a bang, or a screech, this is it.